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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20071116T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20071116T210000
DTSTAMP:20220330T181400Z
CREATED:20071116T191100Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220330T181400Z
UID:10000981-1195239600-1195246800@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"Meeting Resistance" with Filmmakers Molly Bingham and Steve Connors
DESCRIPTION:Meeting Resistance (2007) is set in the streets\, alleyways and ubiquitous teashops of the Adhamiya neighborhood of Baghdad.  It enters the physical and psychological heart of the “insurgency” against the American occupation.  Presented by photojournalist/directors Steve Connors and Molly Bingham\, who spent ten months among the insurgents there to create the exclusive\, unique\, and at once compelling and insightful film about their lives\, motivation\, and goals.  \n\n\n\nMeeting Resistance focuses on eight “insurgents\,” each with his or her own take and reasons for opposing the American-led occupation. All are people who\, within days of the fall of Baghdad\, were arranging themselves into resistance cells\, finding the money and weapons to fight against the American military.  The film witnesses how they began to organize themselves\, reveals why they have decided to violently oppose the occupation of the country\, and hears in their words the underlying ideological foundations to their fight and how and why those have changed over time.  \n\n\n\nThe directors’ unsurpassed access and visually stunning cinematography makes this film a one-of-a-kind; essential viewing for audiences around the world concerned with a deeper understanding of the current situation in Iraq\, and with the human condition of resistance.   \n\n\n\nCo-sponsored by Women Against War\, Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace\, and the Chatham Peace Initiative.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/meeting-resistance-with-filmmakers-molly-bingham-and-steve-connors/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20071119T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20071119T210000
DTSTAMP:20220614T171916Z
CREATED:20071119T152200Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220614T171916Z
UID:10000982-1195498800-1195506000@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: A Photographer's Chronicle of the Iraq War" with Photojournalist Ashley Gilbertson
DESCRIPTION:Arriving in Iraq on the eve of the U.S. invasion\, unaffiliated with any newspaper and hoping to pick up assignments along the way\, Ashley Gilbertson was one of the first photojournalists to cover the disintegration of America’s military triumph as looting and score settling convulsed Iraqi cities.  Just twenty-five years old at the time\, Gilbertson soon landed a contract with The New York Times\, and his extraordinary images of life in occupied Iraq and of American troops in action began appearing in the paper regularly.   \n\n\n\nWhiskey Tango Foxtrot (The University of Chicago Press\, 2007) gathers the best of his photographs\, chronicling America’s early battles in Iraq\, the initial occupation of Baghdad\, the insurgency that erupted shortly afterward\, the dramatic battle to over take Fallujah\, and ultimately\, the country’s first national elections.  This wide-ranging treatment of the war from the viewpoint of a photographer is the first of its kind.  In it he grapples with the reality that Iraq – despite the sacrifice in Iraq and American lives – has descended into a civil war with no end in sight.   \n\n\n\nCo-sponsored by Women Against War and Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/whiskey-tango-foxtrot-a-photographers-chronicle-of-the-iraq-war-with-photojournalist-ashley-gilbertson/
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20071128T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20071128T210000
DTSTAMP:20260814T142430Z
CREATED:20071128T153300Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260814T142430Z
UID:10000984-1196276400-1196283600@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival
DESCRIPTION:Sisters in Law (Kim Longinotto & Florence Ayisi\, 2005\, Cameroon). “Men are going to get the message now.”  The lawyers and judges in one small courthouse in Kumba\, Cameroon are helping to transform women’s and children’s lives by protecting them from domestic violence.  From the maker of Divorce Iranian Style and Gaea Girls comes this latest project celebrating dynamic women in non-traditional roles.  A testament to how a few strong women can help to make an impact on individual lives as well as traditional world-views. \n\n\n\nPart of iEAR Presents!\, cosponsored by the Department of the Arts at RPI and funded in part by the Electronic Media and Film Program at the New York State Council on the Arts\, a state agency.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/margaret-mead-film-video-festival/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20071205T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20071205T203000
DTSTAMP:20220330T185141Z
CREATED:20071205T153400Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220330T185141Z
UID:10000990-1196877600-1196886600@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival
DESCRIPTION:Flock of Dodos (Randy Olson\, 2006). Who are the dodos in the current debate over evolution versus intelligent design?  With a Super Size Me – style good spirit\, marine biologist turned filmmaker Randy Olson travels the country in search of an answer.  He starts with his 82 year old mother who is neighbors with the top lawyer for intelligent design in Olson’s home state of Kansas\, which is the epicenter of the controversy.  This film gets beyond the tedium of the “debate” of who’s right and who’s wrong.  Instead\, it explores how those who embrace each side are “communicating” their ideas to the public.   \n\n\n\nPart of iEAR Presents!\, co-sponsored by the Department of the Arts at RPI and funded in part by the Electronic Media and Film Program at the New York State Council on the Arts\, a state agency.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/margaret-mead-film-video-festival-2/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20071207T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20071207T203000
DTSTAMP:20220330T190612Z
CREATED:20071207T145000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220330T190612Z
UID:10000991-1197050400-1197059400@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"The Business of Being Born" Screening
DESCRIPTION:Birth: it’s a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything\, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child\, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to examine and question the way American women have babies. The Business of Being Born interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical\, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film\, the journey becomes even more personal. Should most births be viewed as a natural life process\, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?  \n\n\n\nCo-sponsored by BirthNet.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/the-business-of-being-born-screening/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20071214T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20071214T210000
DTSTAMP:20220614T171644Z
CREATED:20071214T143400Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220614T171644Z
UID:10000993-1197658800-1197666000@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"What Would Jesus Buy?" Screening
DESCRIPTION:What Would Jesus Buy? follows Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they go on a cross-country mission to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse: the end of mankind from consumerism\, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt! From producer Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) and director Rob VanAlkemade comes a serious docu-comedy about the commercialization of Christmas. Bill Talen (aka Reverend Billy) was a lost idealist who hitchhiked to New York City only to find that Times Square was becoming a mall. Spurred on by the loss of his neighborhood and inspired by the sidewalk preachers around him\, Bill bought a collar to match his white caterer’s jacket\, bleached his hair and became the Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping.  \n\n\n\nSince 1999\, Reverend Billy has gone from being a lone preacher with a portable pulpit preaching on subways\, to the leader of a congregation and a movement whose numbers are well into the thousands. Through retail interventions\, corporate exorcisms\, and some good old-fashioned preaching\, Reverend Billy reminds us that we have lost the true meaning of Christmas.  \n\n\n\nWhat Would Jesus Buy? is a journey into the heart of America – from exorcising the demons at the Wal-Mart headquarters to taking over the center stage at the Mall of America and then ultimately heading to the Promised Land … Disneyland. Will we be led like Sheeple to the Christmas slaughter\, or will we find a new way to give a gift this Christmas? What Would Jesus Buy? may just be the divine intervention we’ve all been searching for. The Shopocalypse is upon us …Who will be $aved?
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/what-would-jesus-buy-screening/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080201T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080201T210000
DTSTAMP:20230320T154850Z
CREATED:20080201T202600Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230320T154850Z
UID:10000883-1201892400-1201899600@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:Brian De Palma's "Redacted"
DESCRIPTION:The exclusive Capital Region release of Brian De Palma’s fictional documentary\, Redacted (2007). De Palma (Carrie\, Dressed to Kill\, The Untouchables\, Mission Impossible) won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the 2007 Venice Film Festival for this movie\, a fictional story inspired by true events in Iraq. “The only Iraq film I would rank alongside No End in Sight in the category of essential viewing.” (Scott Fondas\, LA Weekly). Screenings will take place on both February First and February Second\, 2008. \n\n\n\nCo-sponsored by Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace\, Women Against War and Chatham Peace Initiative. \n\n\n\nRedacted Poster\n\n\n\nAbout the Film:\n\n\n\nDe Palma won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the 2007 Venice Film Festival for this film\, a fictional story inspired by true events. Redacted is a unique cinematic experience that pushes viewers to radically reconsider the filters through which we see and accept events in our world\, the power of the mediated image and how presentation and composition influence our ideas and beliefs. \n\n\n\nCentered around a small group of American soldiers stationed at a checkpoint in Iraq\, Redacted alternates points of view\, balancing the experiences of these young men under duress and members of the media with those of the local Iraqi people\, illuminating how each have been deeply affected by the current conflict and their encounters with each other. The charged apotheosis of Brian De Palma’s filmmaking career\, Redacted caps off a body of work which has explored the politics of image-making and reception more fully than any living filmmaker.  \n\n\n\n“Once again a senseless war has produced a senseless tragedy\,” says De Palma. “I told this story years ago in my film ‘Casualties of War.’ But the lessons from the Vietnam War have gone unheeded. How to tell the story today? And how did it all begin? Last year at the Toronto Film Festival I was approached by a representative of HDNET films who asked if I would be interested in making a film using high definition video. I said I would if I could find a subject matter that would be best explored in the medium. Then I read about an incident in the Iraq War where members of a US army squad had reportedly raped a 14 girl\, slaughtered her family\, shot the girl in the face and set her body on fire. How could these boys have gone so wrong? In searching for the answers\, I read soldier’s blogs\, books\, watched soldier’s home made war videos\, surfed their web sites\, and their ‘YouTube’ postings. It was all there\, and all in video. “To redact is to edit\, or prepare for publishing. Frequently\, a redacted document or image has simply had personal (or possibly actionable) information deleted or blacked out; as a consequence\, redacted is often used to describe documents or images from which sensitive information has been expunged. The true story of our Iraq War has been redacted from the mainstream corporate media. If we are goings to cause such disorder then we must face the horrendous images that are the consequences of these actions. Once we saw them in Vietnam our citizens protested and brought that misguided conflict to an end. Let’s hope the images from this film have the same effect.” \n\n\n\nAbout Brian De Palma:\n\n\n\nBrian De Palma/Scott Wintrow: Getty Images\n\n\n\nWriter/director Brian De Palma has showcased his filmmaking talents in diverse films ranging from thrillers such as “Sisters\,” “Obsession\,” “Dressed to Kill\,” “Body Double” and “Snake Eyes\,” to the blockbuster action film “Mission: Impossible\,” the acclaimed police dramas “Scarface\,” “The Untouchables” and “Carlito’s Way” to the unique visions in “Carrie” and “Phantom of the Paradise. “De Palma has also directed war films\, comedies and science fiction.  \n\n\n\nBorn in Newark\, New Jersey on September 11\, 1940\, De Palma grew up in Philadelphia where his father was an orthopedic surgeon. Early on\, De Palma became fascinated by physics and went to Columbia College to study the subject. He soon changed paths and began studying first theater\, then cinema.  \n\n\n\nIn 1960\, he made his first mid-length feature\, “Icarus\,” followed by “6601224\, The Story of an IBM Card” and “Wotan’s Wake\,” for which he received several awards. De Palma undertook his first full-length feature\, “The Wedding Party\,” while studying at Sarah Lawrence College. “The Wedding Party\,” a semi-improvised comedy\, would be Robert De Niro’s and Jill Clayburgh’s film debuts. After this first film\, De Palma went on to do several documentaries and short films\, including “The Responsive Eye\,” and put on an exposition of Op Art at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.  \n\n\n\nIn 1967\, he made his second full-length feature\, “Murder à la Mod\,” a sophisticated thriller packed with Hitchcockian references. The anti-establishment fever of the sixties led him to make the satirical comedies “Greetings” (Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival) and “Hi Mom\,” which lifted him into the ranks of young American filmmakers. The big Hollywood studios began paying attention to De Palma\, but it was his modest independent production “Sisters\,” which brought his first big success. Breaking away from the semi-improvisational style of his previous films\, he made apparent that his talent for writing\, his sense of construction\, his framing and rhythm were worthy of the best Hollywood directors.  \n\n\n\nTwo years after his success\, De Palma made the musical thriller “Phantom of the Paradise” which came away with the Grand Prize from the 1975 Avoriaz Film Festival. In 1976\, he (with Paul Schrader) wrote and directed “Obsession\,” a romantic thriller starring Cliff Robertson and Genevieve Bujold\, followed by “Carrie\,” which triumphed worldwide and earned Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie Oscar nominations. The film\, which also featured Nancy Allen\, John Travolta and Amy Irving\, remains one of the most brilliant adaptations of a Stephen King novel. Its famous last scene\, as well as others\, has been widely imitated over the years.  \n\n\n\nIn 1977\, De Palma directed Kirk Douglas\, John Cassavetes and Amy Irving in “The Fury\,” a spy film that combined the occult with political fiction. In 1978\, he made “Home Movies\,” a semi-autobiographical comedy starring Kirk Douglas and Nancy Allen\, with the assistance of fellow film students from Sarah Lawrence.  \n\n\n\nIn 1980\, De Palma returned to suspense with “Dressed to Kill\,” starring Michael Caine\, Nancy Allen and Angie Dickinson\, then went on to write and direct “Blow Out\,” which explored two of his major themes: voyeurism and politics.  \n\n\n\nIn 1982\, Brian De Palma directed a baroque\, hyper-violent remake of “Scarface” from an Oliver Stone screenplay\, starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer.  \n\n\n\nIn 1984\, he made “Body Double\,” which gave Melanie Griffith her breakthrough role. Leaving behind the film genre which had made him famous\, Brian went on to direct “The Untouchables\,” a huge spectacular saga about prohibition which earned its star\, Sean Connery\, an Oscar\, and launched the careers of Kevin Costner and Andy Garcia.  \n\n\n\nIn 1989\, Brian directed Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in the war film “Casualties of War” and in 1990\, he adapted Tom Wolfe’s satirical novel “The Bonfire of the Vanities\,” which starred Tom Hanks\, Melanie Griffith and Bruce Willis.  \n\n\n\nIn 1992\, De Palma returned to thrillers with “Raising Cain\,” which starred John Lithgow and Lolita Davidovich\, as well as directing Al Pacino in “Carlito’s Way.” \n\n\n\n In 1996\, he brought together Tom Cruise\, Jon Voight\, Emmanuelle Beart and Jean Reno in “Mission: Impossible\,” a tribute to the cult television series.  \n\n\n\n“Mission: Impossible” became an enormous international success and was followed by “Snake Eyes\,” starring Nicolas Cage and Gary Sinise\, as well as his first science fiction film\, “Mission to Mars\,” which starred Gary Sinise\, Tim Robbins\, Don Cheadle and Connie Nielsen.  \n\n\n\nMost recently\, De Palma directed Josh Hartnett\, Hilary Swank\, Aaron Eckhart and Scarlett Johansson in the 2006 film noir thriller\, “The Black Dahlia\,” an adaptation of the popular novel by James Ellroy. \n\n\n\nPress: \n\n\n\n“An amazingly vigorous work and De Palma’s strongest cinematic statement since ‘Casualities of War’” — Richard Corliss\, Time \n\n\n\n“The only Iraq film I would rank alongside ‘No End in Sight’ in the category of essential viewing” — Scott Fondas\, LA Weekly \n\n\n\n“A sensational film. De Palma’s filmmaking skills have seldom been a razor sharp” — Ray Bennett\, Hollywood Reporter \n\n\n\n“De Palma’s anger and frustration with the media course through ‘Redacted’ like an electrical current” — Stephanie Zacharek\, Salon
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/brian-de-palmas-redacted/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080215T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080215T210000
DTSTAMP:20230109T030552Z
CREATED:20080215T152200Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230109T030552Z
UID:10000886-1203098400-1203109200@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"King Corn" Screening with Panel
DESCRIPTION:Director Aaron Woolf’s entertaining feature-length documentary about the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation raises troubling questions about how we eat and how we farm. Complimentary organic popcorn and corn-free sodas for all.  \n\n\n\nCo-sponsored by Honest Weight Food Co-Op as well as Roots and Wisdom. \n\n\n\nKing Corn movie still\n\n\n\nKing Corn is a feature film documentary about the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. Almost everything Americans eat contains corn: high fructose corn syrup\, corn-fed meat\, and corn-based processed foods are the staples of the modern diet. Ready for an adventure and alarmed by signs of their generation’s bulging waistlines\, college friends Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis know where to go to investigate. \n\n\n\nEighty years ago\, Ian and Curt’s great-grandfathers lived just a few miles apart\, in the same rural county in northern Iowa. Now their great-grandsons are returning with a mission: they will plant an acre of corn\, follow their harvest into the world\, and attempt to understand what they—and all of us—are really made of. \n\n\n\nThey move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors\, genetically modified seeds\, and powerful herbicides\, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America’s most productive\, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system\, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat—and how we farm. \n\n\n\nKing Corn movie poster\n\n\n\n“Genetically engineered corn can be ‘hidden’ in everyday grocery items ranging from bread\, to soda\, to the ramen noodles you had for lunch\,” Karisa Centanni\, Education Coordinator at the Honest Weight Food Co-op\, comments. “The same genes that comprise this ‘corn’ are showing up in our hair and skin\, believe it or not\, yet we have no idea about the kind of biological and environmental changes this may cause over a long period of time.” Immediately following the screening a panel comprised of two local\, organic farmers—Leslie Herd and Chris Kemnah—and Louise Maher-Johnson\, a non-GMO activist who has coordinated two statewide lobby days (2005 and 2006) to inform legislators about transgenic food\, will be available as part of a panel discussion and to answer audience questions and concerns. \n\n\n\nYouth gardeners from Roots and Wisdom will serve corn-free\, New-England-made sodas and organic popcorn during a pre-screening reception\, beginning at 6 PM\, and following the film. They will talk with attendees about the important role they are playing to recover the local foods system through farming themselves. All sales of concessions will go directly to programming for Roots and Wisdom. \n\n\n\nRoots and Wisdom is a youth agriculture and community service program bringing together Schenectady County residents to grow organic vegetables for donation to local food pantries and for sale locally. Participants learn about sustainable agriculture\, nutrition\, hunger\, and diversity. Roots and Wisdom creates genuine change by helping county residents in need and providing youth with opportunities to work hard and grow. \n\n\n\nThe Honest Weight Food Co-op\, founded in 1976\, is open to the public seven days a week. A member-owned and -operated organization\, Honest Weight Food Co-op is committed to providing the community with affordable\, high quality natural foods and products for healthy and ecologically sustainable living. The store offers a full line of brand-name grocery products\, more than 500 domestic and imported cheeses from rBGH-free dairies\, an extensive selection of bulk foods\, and the area’s widest selection of locally produced food products. Honest Weight Food Co-op is centrally located at 484 Central Avenue\, between Partridge and Manning\, in Albany\, NY. \n\n\n\nThis presentation is made possible in part by volunteer labor and hundreds of small donations from patrons of The Sanctuary for Independent Media.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/king-corn-screening-with-panel/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080222T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080222T203000
DTSTAMP:20230320T154714Z
CREATED:20220331T161545Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230320T154714Z
UID:10001341-1203703200-1203712200@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"A Love During the War" Screening with Filmmaker Osvalde Lewat-Hallade
DESCRIPTION:What are the consequences when rape is used as a weapon of war? Osvalde Lewar-Hallade’s moving documentary A Love During the War (2005) explores the question from the perspective of women in Africa\, where this tragedy is witnessed again and again. One of the emerging voices of feminist African filmmaking\, the Cameroonian director Osvalde Lewat-Hallade is well on her way to becoming her continent’s Kim Longinotto or Barbara Kopple\, forging direct cinema with activist power. Osvalde Lewat-Hallade will be present for audience questions at a screening of her film. Part of the African Film Festival program.  \n\n\n\nThis presentation is co-sponsored by the Arts Department at RPI and made possible by volunteer labor\, hundreds of small donations from patrons of The Sanctuary for Independent Media\, and support from the Electronic Media & Film program at the NYS Council on the Arts. \n\n\n\nStill from A Love During War.\n\n\n\nAbout the Film:\n\n\n\nA Love During the War is a docudrama following the experiences of a journalist who is separated from her husband when the Democratic Republic of Congo erupts into civil war. She reunites with her husband in Kinshasa\, but the memory of the horrors suffered by other women during the war still haunts her. Despite her husband’s protests\, she returns to Eastern Congo to find that the legacy of violence continues to infect the lives of women young and old. However\, not everyone remains a victim as women have started denouncing the abuses they suffered. \n\n\n\nA Love During the War manages a remarkable feat\, telling an uplifting story of love that is utterly uncontrived\, while situating it within the context of a bloody war and the horrifying phenomenon of systematic rape committed by militias and armies in the Congo. \n\n\n\nThe two lovers in question are journalist Aziza and her husband Dedier\, who are separated by the outbreak of the Congo-Kinshasa war in 1996\, a conflict that eventually claimed the lives of three million people. Direct\, riveting interviews reveal the angst Aziza and Dedier endured throughout their six-year-long severance. \n\n\n\nThrough the actions of Aziza\, who takes an interest in the brutal experiences of a young girl who was gang-raped by several uniformed men\, director Osvalde Lewat-Hallade seamlessly synthesizes a personal story with an examination of the use of rape as a tool of war. The result is stirring and ultimately galvanizing\, as one cannot help but feel awed by the courage and resilience of women who have overcome stigma and trauma to speak out. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout the Director:\n\n\n\nOsvalde Lewat-Hallade started her career as a journalist. She produced her first documentary\, Upsa Yimoowin (The Pipe of Hope) in Toronto in 2001. That film denounces the sidelining of Native Americans. Her second film\, Beyond the Pains\, was made in 2003 and is based on the life of a prisoner who was sentenced to four years in jail for a minor crime and ends up being imprisoned for 33 years. Beyond the Pains was the recipient of the TV Film Prize at the Avanca City Festival and of the Human Rights Prize at the Vues d’Afrique Festival in Montreal. A Love During the War\, her latest documentary film\, won two jury mentions in Fespaco and the Montreal Film Festival. She has just completed a feature film\, “Black Business.”
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/a-love-during-the-war-screening-with-filmmaker-osvalde-lewat-hallade/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080530T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080530T213000
DTSTAMP:20230626T145254Z
CREATED:20080530T162100Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230626T145254Z
UID:10001606-1212174000-1212183000@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:Termite TV Collective Talk and Screening
DESCRIPTION:Termite TV is a video collective with members based in Philadelphia\, Baltimore and Buffalo. Founded in 1992 with a mission to create experimental and activist work to challenge the status quo and provide an alternative to corporate media. Termite TV has produced more than 40 programs broadcast nationally on television and screened at festivals and museums worldwide. The presentation will take place at Digital Artist Space\, 27 2nd Street in downtown Troy.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/termite-tv-collective-talk-and-screening/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080531T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080531T220000
DTSTAMP:20230626T153438Z
CREATED:20080531T144300Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230626T153438Z
UID:10000831-1212264000-1212271200@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"Venezuela Rising" screening with Filmmaker Jennifer Wager
DESCRIPTION:As seen through the eyes of grandmother and community organizer Gladys Bolivar\, the documentary Venezuela Rising follows her and her compatriots five days before it is to be decided by popular referendum whether Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will continue in office or step down. The entire nation has been mobilized–will it be SI–yes he will be recalled\, or NO–he will remain in office. Most in Venezuela feel that no less than the entire future of their country is at stake. \n\n\n\nIssues of democracy and politics are addressed–what constitutes a free and fair election–and is that enough to ensure citizen participation? How are elections the ultimate measure of a thriving democracy? \n\n\n\nVenezuela Rising gets behind the headlines and into the neighborhoods of Caracas to find out how participatory democracy works on the ground.Jennifer Wager is a NYC media educator and director of the film. She currently teaches video production and post-production at Manhattan Neighborhood Network\, the flagship community TV station in the U.S. \n\n\n\nShe also serves on the board of the National Mobilization Against Sweatshops\, with whom she has facilitated a community video oral history project\, producing a DVD and Web-based series of short films on the lives of immigrant and working class women from the Lower East Side. Since 1995\, Ms. Wager has created several online experimental education projects\, including the Smithsonian-award winning W.E.B. Du Bois Virtual University. Ms. Wager holds a M.A. in African Studies from Ohio State University and a M.A. in Communication and Technology from Georgetown University. This is her second documentary on Venezuela. Her first\, Hij@s de Bolivar\, was shot in the months immediately following the 2002 coup.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/venezuela-rising-screening-with-filmmaker-jennifer-wager/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080606T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080606T213000
DTSTAMP:20230626T154227Z
CREATED:20080606T145500Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230626T154227Z
UID:10000832-1212778800-1212787800@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"The Lost Generation" with Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
DESCRIPTION:Internationally-celebrated filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will speak at a screening of her new film The Lost Generation at The Sanctuary for Independent Media on Friday\, June 6\, 2008 at 7 PM. Admission is by donation ($10 suggested\, $5 student/low income). \n\n\n\nLocal presentation of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is co-sponsored by Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace\, made possible by volunteer labor and small financial contributions from hundreds of patrons of The Sanctuary For Independent Media. \n\n\n\nSharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is the first non-American journalist to be awarded the prestigious Livingston Award and the youngest recipient of the One World Media broadcast journalist of the year award in the United Kingdom. \n\n\n\nOver the past seven years she has produced and reported on 13 films for major networks in the United States and Britain including CNN\, PBS\, Channel 4 (U.K.) and the Discovery channel. Her work has earned her major awards in broadcast journalism including the Overseas Press Club Award\, The American women and Radio and Television award\, The Cine Golden Eagle Award\, The Banff TV Rockie award and the South Asian Journalist Award. \n\n\n\nIn her latest film–The Lost Generation (2008)–filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy investigates the biggest and most catastrophic refugee crisis in the Middle East since the Palestinian diaspora of 1948. \n\n\n\nIn the past five years more than four million Iraqis–20 per cent of the entire population–have been driven from their homes as a result of the war and sectarian bloodshed. Two million have become exiles\, living desperate lives across the border in Syria and Jordan. \n\n\n\nThe film travels to Syria and Jordan to investigate the plight of Iraqi refugees. These are the very people on whom the new\, democratic Iraq was to be built–the professional middle classes–nearly half of whom now live as desperate refugees\, driven out by the violence and civil breakdown. \n\n\n\nSharmeen’s work has taken her to more than ten countries around the world. Her career in documentary filmmaking began when she examined the plight of Afghani refugee children in Pakistan for one of her articles. Their situation was so dire\, and their stories so compelling\, that Sharmeen decided to return to Pakistan and create a film about them. She petitioned Smith College and New York Times Television production division for the grants that would allow her to accomplish her goals. Intrigued by her story\, both organizations gave her the funds as well as production equipment and training. \n\n\n\nBorn in Karachi\, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was the first woman in her Pakistani family to receive a Western education. Obaid graduated from Smith College with a bachelor of arts in economics and government and then went to complete two master’s degrees from Stanford University in International Policy Studies and Communication.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/the-lost-generation-with-filmmaker-sharmeen-obaid-chinoy/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080611T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080611T210000
DTSTAMP:20230626T155906Z
CREATED:20080611T150600Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230626T155906Z
UID:10000836-1213207200-1213218000@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"Energy Reality Check: A CoRE Project Special Event"
DESCRIPTION:So the cost of a gallon of gas has reached $4.00. Yet our nation is consuming imported oil and natural gas at a steadily increasing rate. Meanwhile\, we may now have passed through the pivotal point of “Peak Oil\,” leaving the world with an inexorably diminishing supply of oil in the face on continuously growing demand. When we look to our leaders for solutions\, the best they can come up with is a “Gas Tax Holiday”!!  \n\n\n\nThe folks at the CoRE Project think it’s time for an “Energy Reality Check.” There is mounting evidence that high energy prices are here to stay and that still higher prices are on the way. Prices for gasoline are already $8/gal in Ireland and $12 in England. Retired University of New Hampshire professor Clifford Wirth will be in Troy will present his analysis of just how serious is the predicament that we are facing\, followed by a panel discussion. Event includes a community potluck. \n\n\n\nClifford Wirth leads a group of professionals with diverse backgroundsin academics\, energy policy\, oil industry\, engineering\, electricutilities\, economic development\, applied policy analysis\,environmental science\, and local\, state\, and federal government. Thegroup is experienced in practical problem-solving\, contingencyplanning\, and risk management. They are dedicated to advisingindividuals and organizations on how to best handle the challenges ofPeak Oil. \n\n\n\nThe Community Renewable Energy (CoRE) Project is a loosely constitutedgroup of concerned citizens from the Hudson-Mohawk region who work toraise awareness of energy issues and advocate for conservation and amigration to less energy intensive public infrastructure.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/energy-reality-check-a-core-project-special-event/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Panel Discussion
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080909T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080909T213000
DTSTAMP:20230626T153005Z
CREATED:20090909T153200Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230626T153005Z
UID:10000840-1220986800-1220995800@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:Doug Blackmon on "Slavery by Another Name"
DESCRIPTION:Filled with archival photographs\, Doug Blackmon’s Slavery by Another Name is the true account of the re-enslavement of African Americans from the end of the Civil War until World War II.   \n\n\n\nCo-sponsored by Christ Church United Methodist in Troy. \n\n\n\nContrary to public understanding\, emancipation did not end slavery for hundreds of thousands of people in the southern U.S.   African Americans were arrested for minor offenses\, often for no offense at all\, and sentenced to hard labor in coal mines\, lumber camps\, farms\, and mills across the South.  Most were never released from deplorable working and living conditions.  This system\, which Blackmon calls Neo-Slavery\, did not end until the coming of World War II.  \n\n\n\nThe book is a sad story of a dark period in American history\, but it is a history that we all should know.  Doug has been a journalist for more than 20 years. He was editor of the Daily Record in Little Rock\, Arkansas\, and a reporter with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution before joining the Wall Street Journal in 1995. As a young journalist\, he covered the fall of the Berlin Wall and later the civil war in Yugoslavia. His work has been nominated four times for the Pulitzer Prize. He has written extensively about race in America\, religion\, the economy\, and numerous other social issues. In fact\, he has been writing and speaking about race since he was in the seventh grade in the Mississippi Delta. Douglas Blackmon lives in Atlanta with his wife\, Michelle\, and their children\, Michael and Colette.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/doug-blackmon-on-slavery-by-another-name/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080912T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080912T210000
DTSTAMP:20220404T163046Z
CREATED:20080921T154700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220404T163046Z
UID:10001017-1221246000-1221253200@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"Body of War" with Filmmaker Dee Dee Halleck
DESCRIPTION:Tomas Young\, 25 years old\, was paralyzed by a bullet to his spine after serving in Iraq for less than a week. Body of War (2007) follows Tomas as he comes to terms with his disability and finds his own unique and passionate voice against the war. This documentary was produced and directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro. Legendary community media activist Dee Dee Halleck\, who played a major role in bringing this story to film\, will speak about the film. Iraq War vet Tyler Boudreau will sign copies of his new book Packing Inferno: The Unmaking of a Marine. \n\n\n\nCo-sponsored by the Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley\, Women Against War and Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/body-of-war-with-filmmaker-dee-dee-halleck/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080915T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080915T210000
DTSTAMP:20220607T151603Z
CREATED:20080915T165000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220607T151603Z
UID:10001011-1221505200-1221512400@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:Chris Carlson and "Nowtopia": Practical Rebellion & A New Politics of Work
DESCRIPTION:How do the Open Source software movement\, bicycle subculture\, guerilla gardening\, and the Burning Man Festival fit together? Nowtopia (2008) author and Critical Mass co-founder Chris Carlsson connects these dots as he profiles the social networks that are cooperating outside of economic regulation and laying the foundation for a genuine movement of liberation from market life. The event will feature an installation by the Rhizome Collective. Valet bike parking available. \n\n\n\nCo-sponsored by Troy Bike Rescue and the New York Bicycling Coalition.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/chris-carlson-and-nowtopia-practical-rebellion-a-new-politics-of-work/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Performance
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081010T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081010T210000
DTSTAMP:20230626T165311Z
CREATED:20081010T141500Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230626T165311Z
UID:10001021-1223665200-1223672400@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"Disaster and Resistance: Comics and Landscapes for the 21st Century"
DESCRIPTION:A live multimedia presentation of the work in Seth Tobacman’s new book Disaster and Resistance: Comics and Landscapes for the 21st Century (2008)\, just published by AK Press. The presentation/performance features Seth\, drummer Eric Blitz and guitarist Steve Wishnia. In his bold comic style\, the longtime artist\, activist\, and educator skewers the individuals and institutions wreaking havoc across the globe today\, musing not on the chaos of instability and fear but on the struggle against it.  \n\n\n\nCo-sponsored by Women Against War. \n\n\n\nPress Release:\n\n\n\nAccording to former New York Times art director Jerelle Kraus\, “I repeatedly tried to get more of Tobocman’s work onto our pages\, but it was deemed too radical. Tobocman won’t compromise his principles for money or fashion.” \n\n\n\nIn his new book\, he outlines pressing social and political struggles at the dawn of the twenty-first century\, from post 9-11 New York City to Israel and Palestine\, to Iraq and New Orleans. Fans of his classic works\, “You Don’t Have to Fuck People Over to Survive” and “War in the Neighborhood\,” will see that his punch has not softened\, and his work continues to skewer the individuals and institutions wreaking havoc across the globe today. In his bold comic style\, Seth chronicles events as they happen\, musing not on the chaos of instability and fear but on the struggle against it. Seth will sign books after the show\, which is about an hour long. \n\n\n\nHere’s what others have to say: \n\n\n\n“For years now Seth Tobocman has been taking on the powers that be for all of us. He’s not slowing down either.” -Harvey Pekar\, groundbreaking graphic novelist and author of the American Splendor series \n\n\n\n“A graphic revelation\, an artistic and political document of enormous value in our troubled world.” -Paul Buhle\, esteemed historian of American radicalism \n\n\n\n“Once again Seth Tobocman stares straight into the eye of the storm and casts light on the darkness. His complete command of visual storytelling is perfectly matched by his unwavering ability to dissect and explain the most complex and urgent topics of the day. He brings us a behind-the-scenes view from the frontlines\, with heart and clarity\, and turns static headlines into flesh and blood realities. When people look back on our history\, Seth Tobocman’s inspiring comics will provide more insight into this era than a thousand newscasts.” -Peter Kuper\, author of “Speechless” \n\n\n\nSeth Tobocman is one of the founding editors of World War 3 Illustrated\, author/illustrator of three collections\, an educator\,and has shown his work in streets and galleries across the globe—including Exit Art\, The Museum of Modern Art\, and the New Museum of Contemporary Art.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/disaster-and-resistance-comics-and-landscapes-for-the-21st-century/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Performance,Rock Music
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081016T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081016T210000
DTSTAMP:20230626T164557Z
CREATED:20081016T142500Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230626T164557Z
UID:10000847-1224183600-1224190800@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"A Jihad for Love" with Filmmaker Parvez Sharma
DESCRIPTION:Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma has gone where the silence is loudest with a daring feature documentary\, A Jihad for Love (2007). Exploring the complex global intersections between Islam and homosexuality\, the film was created with great risk and secrecy in 9 languages and 12 countries where government permission was not an option. As a Muslim\, Parvez works from within the faith\, depicting Islam with the same respect that the film’s characters show for it.  \n\n\n\nCo-sponsored by Women Against War. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nStill from A Jihad for Love by Parvez Sharma \n\n\n\nPress Release:\n\n\n\nIn a time when Islam is under tremendous attack-from within and without-“A Jihad for Love” is a daring documentary filmed in twelve countries and nine languages. Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma has gone where the silence is loudest\, filming with great risk in nations where government permission to make this film was not an option. \n\n\n\n“A Jihad for Love” is Mr. Sharma’s debut and the world’s first feature documentary to explore the complex global intersections between Islam and homosexuality. Parvez enters the many worlds of Islam by illuminating multiple stories as diverse as Islam itself. The film travels a wide geographic arc presenting us lives from India\, Pakistan\, Iran\, Turkey\, Egypt\, South Africa andFrance. Always filming in secret and as a Muslim\, Parvez makes the film from within the faith\, depicting Islam with the same respect that the film’s characters show for it. “A Jihad for Love” is co-produced by Sandi DuBowski (director/producer of the award-winning “Trembling Before G-d”) in association with ZDF-Arte\, Channel 4\, LOGO\, SBS-Australia\, The Sundance Documentary Fund and The Katahdin Foundation. \n\n\n\nIn Western media\, the concept of “jihad” is often narrowly equated with holy war. But Jihad also has a deeper meaning\, its literal Arabic being “struggle” or “to strive in the path of God.” In this film we meet several characters engaged in their personal Jihad’s for love. The people in this film have a lot to teach us about love. Their pursuit of love has brought them into conflicts with their countries\, families\, and even themselves. Such is the quandary of being both homosexual and Muslim\, a combination so taboo that very little about it has been documented. \n\n\n\nAs a result the majority of gay and lesbian Muslims must travel a twisting\, lonely and often dangerous road. The majority of Muslims believe that homosexuality is forbidden by the Quran and many scholars quote Hadith (sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) to directly condemn homosexuality. Islam\, already the second largest religion in the world\, is also the fastest growing. Fifty nations have a Muslim majority. In a few of those nations laws interpreted from alleged Quranic prohibitions of male homosexuality (lesbianism is allegedly absent from the Quran) are enforced by religious\, tribal or military authorities to monitor\, entrap\, imprison\, torture and even execute homosexuals. Even for those who migrate to Europe or North America and adopt Western personae of “gay” or “queer\,” the relative freedoms of new homelands are mitigated by persistent racial profiling and intensified state surveillance after the attacks of 9/11 and train bombings in Madrid and London. \n\n\n\nAs a result\, many gay and lesbian Muslims end up renouncing their religion completely. But the real-life characters of “A Jihad for Love” aren’t willing to abandon a faith they cherish and that sustains them. Instead\, they struggle to reconcile their ardent belief with the innate reality of their being. The international chorus of gay and lesbian Muslims brought together by “A Jihad for Love” doesn’t seek to vilify or reject Islam\, but rather negotiate a new relationship to it. In doing so\, the film’s extraordinary characters attempt to point the way for all Muslims to move beyond the hostile\, war-torn present\, toward a more hopeful future. As one can imagine\, it was a difficult decision for the subjects to participate in the film due to the violence they could face. It took the filmmaker six years to finish this film and he\, like those who have stepped forward to tell their stories\, feel that they are Islam’s most unlikely storytellers. All of them feel that this film is too important for over a billion Muslims-and all the non-Muslims in the world-for them to say no. They are willing to take the risk in their quest to lay equal claim to their profoundly held faith. \n\n\n\n“A Jihad for Love”’s characters each have vastly different personal takes on Islam\, some observing a rigorously orthodox regimen\, others leading highly secular lifestyles while remaining spiritually devout. As the camera attentively captures their stories\, the film’s gay and lesbian characters emerge in all their human complexity\, giving the viewer an honest rendering of their lives while complicating our assumptions about a monolithic Muslim community. \n\n\n\nCrucially\, this film speaks with a Muslim voice\, unlike other documentaries about sexual politics in Islam made by Western directors. In the hope of opening a dialogue that has been mostly non-existent\, in Islam’s recent history and defining jihad as a “struggle” rather than a “war\,” the film presents the struggle for love. \n\n\n\nParvez Sharma Biography:\n\n\n\nParvez Sharma (producer/director of “A Jihad for Love”) is a Muslim gay filmmaker born and raised in India. For three years\, Sharma worked as a broadcast journalist for Asia’s premiere and most highly-rated 24-hour news network\, the Star News Channel/NDTV\, covering major assignments across the Indian subcontinent and specializing in investigative/human rights stories and political profiles. He worked as producer and/or editor for BBC World Television’s Moneywise and IndiaTomorrow\, Central Television (UK)\, The Discovery Channel (US)\, and the World Bank Film and Video Unit (US). He was the assistant director for the award-winning feature\, “Dance of the Wind\,” produced by Pandora Film in Germany and NFDC India with director Rajan Khosa which won awards at the London\, Rotterdam and Nantes Film Festivals. In 2005\, he was a producer at Democracy Now!\, the nationally broadcast radio and television program which airs on 225 stations across North America with award-winning host Amy Goodman. He produced\, edited and did additional camera for the DVD of Peter Friedman’s Sundance Grand Jury Award winning film “Silverlake Life.” \n\n\n\nParvez Sharma received his bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Presidency College\, University of Calcutta (India) and three Masters degrees: Mass Communication (Film and Television) from India’s premier MCRC\, Jamia Millia Islamia University; Broadcast Journalism from the University of Wales College of Cardiff\, UK; and Film and Video from American University’s School of Communication. He has taught Indian film and other media courses at American University’s Department of Anthropology and its School of Communication in Washington\, DC. \n\n\n\nIn the nineties\, Sharma was a print journalist for several prominent Indian newspapers including The Telegraph\, The Statesman\, The Economic Times\, The Business Standard\, and India Currents Magazine. While at the Statesman he reported on what was the first ever detailing of the lesbian experience within India for a national newspaper-“Emerging from the Shadows” (July 3\, 1994)–which became a rallying point for lesbians around the country and was crucial in the formation of many lesbian organizations. As an activist he was instrumental in setting up the first organized LGBTQ effort in the eastern state of West Bengal\, setting benchmarks for many other LGBT organizing efforts around the subcontinent. Parvez has spoken internationally on distinguished film/media panels and panels on issues crucial to LGBT communities in a South Asian and Muslim context. He was a featured speaker at Yale University Law School\, at th Persistent Vision in San Francisco\, The Open Society Institute in New York\, The Center for Gay and Lesbian Studies in New York and at Amnesty International’s Human Rights Conference–Global Pride\, Global Action: Empowering the Spirit of Human Rights. \n\n\n\nSharma’s first feature documentary\, “A Jihad for Love\,” is co-produced with the UK’s Channel 4\, France’s ARTE\, Germany’s ZDF\, Australia’s SBS\, and U.S. MTV-LOGO. His work and the film have been profiled by The New York Times\, Variety\, The Atlantic Monthly\, Hollywood Reporter\, indieWIRE\, France’s Tetu Magazine\, San Francisco Gate\, on NPR-Chicago and numerous other publications. \n\n\n\nThe film has been supported by a wide number of foundations including The van Ameringen Foundation\, The Hartley Film Foundation\, The Mathilde Krim Foundation\, The Andrew Tobias Foundation-Stonewall Community Foundation\, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation\, The Fledgling Fund\, The Bruce Bastion Foundation\, The Foundation for Fairer Capitalism\, The Ted Snowdon Foundation\, and The Mark D. Hostetter and Alexander N. Habib Foundation. He was honored with a nomination for a 2007 Rockefeller Film/Video/Multimedia Fellowship. \n\n\n\nWith his wide range of experience in film\, television and activism spanning three continents (Asia\, Europe\, and North America)\, and his proficiency in five languages (English\, Hindi\, Urdu\, Bengali\, and Punjabi)\, Sharma hopes to bring a rich cultural perspective and an honest and skillful depiction of Islam-and his very own communities- to this film and the courageous journeys it documents and the global dialogue it catalyzes.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/a-jihad-for-love-with-filmmaker-parvez-sharma/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081024T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081024T210000
DTSTAMP:20230626T165926Z
CREATED:20081024T143700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230626T165926Z
UID:10000850-1224874800-1224882000@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:"A Summer in the Cage" with Filmmaker Ben Selkow
DESCRIPTION:A Summer in the Cage (2007) is a stunning portrait of a battle with manic-depressive (bipolar) disorder that puts a human face on an illness that affects millions of American families. As this dramatic story unfolds\, it also becomes a unique tale about friendship and the ethical responsibilities of a documentary filmmaker. The intent was to make a film about successfully living with\, and managing\, a mental illness- but when the Hollywood ending proves too elusive\, the filmmaker and the subject are forced to ask themselves\, “When do you turn off the camera?”  \n\n\n\nThis event is co-sponsored by The Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley. \n\n\n\nPress Release:\n\n\n\n“A Summer in the Cage” follows Selkow’s friend Sam for seven years ashe suffers delusional manic episodes\, battles paralyzing depressions\,and tries to escape the legacy of his father. By showing the difficultemotional impact of being bipolar on Sam\, his family\, and thefilmmaker\, “A Summer in the Cage” hopes to put a human face on anillness that affects millions of American families. But as thisdramatic story unfolds\, it also becomes a unique tale about friendshipand the ethical responsibilities of a documentary filmmaker. Theintent was to make a film about successfully living with\, andmanaging\, a mental illness. When the “Hollywood ending” proved tooelusive\, the filmmaker and the subject are forced to ask themselves\,“When do you turn off the camera?” \n\n\n\n“I saw this film earlier this year at a film festival\,” says Sanctuaryprogrammer Penny Lane\, “and I had never seen anything like it. Thevideo diaries made by Sam during his manias are some of the most rawand powerful images I have ever encountered.” Lane was compelled tobring the film and its maker to her community after witnessing thedialogue the film provoked in the audience. \n\n\n\n“Quite frankly\, one of the most powerful documentaries I have seen\,”says author Peter Earley (CRAZY: A Father’s Search Through America’sMental Health Madness)\, “I do not know of any other filmmaker who hascaptured the frantic highs of mania\, the devastation of depression androller coaster of ordinary life that a person with a diagnosis ofbipolar disorder experiences.” \n\n\n\nDr. Kay Redfield Jamison\, well known professor\, author and psychiatrist\, highly recommended the film\, calling it “powerful\, affecting and honest.” \n\n\n\nBen Selkow is the director/producer/director of photography/writer of “A Summer in the Cage\,” which premiered on the Sundance Channel in October 2007 and is being distributed for home video by Indiepix. The film was nominated for a 2008 Prism Bipolar Disorder Depiction Award.In 2003\, Ben was a participant in the annual Sundance Producer’sConference at the Sundance Institute in Utah.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/a-summer-in-the-cage-with-filmmaker-ben-selkow/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Screening
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081028T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081028T220000
DTSTAMP:20230705T152738Z
CREATED:20081028T145200Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230705T152738Z
UID:10000852-1225220400-1225231200@www.mediasanctuary.org
SUMMARY:Camilo Mejia: The Private Rebellion of a Staff Sergeant
DESCRIPTION:After serving in the Army for nearly nine years\, Camilo Mejia was the first known Iraq veteran to refuse to fight when he applied for discharge from the army as a conscientious objector\, citing moral concerns about the war and occupation. The principled stand described in his memoir\, Road From ar Ramadi: The Private Rebellion of Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejia (just published by Haymarket Books)\, helped rally the growing opposition and embolden other soldiers. He was eventually convicted of desertion by a military court and sentenced to a year in prison\, prompting Amnesty International to declare him a prisoner of conscience. Camilo will speak about his experiences.  \n\n\n\nCo-sponsored by Women Against War and Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace. \n\n\n\nRegaining My Humanity \n\n\n\nBy Camilo MejiaCodePink.org \n\n\n\nThursday 17 February 2005 \n\n\n\nI was deployed to Iraq in April 2003 and returned home for a two-week leave in October. Going home gave me the opportunity to put my thoughts in order and to listen to what my conscience had to say. People would ask me about my war experiences and answering them took me back to all the horrors-the firefights\, the ambushes\, the time I saw a young Iraqi dragged by his shoulders through a pool of his own blood or an innocent man was decapitated by our machine gun fire. The time I saw a soldier broken down inside because he killed a child\, or an old man on his knees\, crying with his arms raised to the sky\, perhaps asking God why we had taken the lifeless body of his son. \n\n\n\nI thought of the suffering of a people whose country was in ruins and who were further humiliated by the raids\, patrols and curfews of an occupying army. \n\n\n\nAnd I realized that none of the reasons we were told about why we were in Iraq turned out to be true. There were no weapons of mass destruction. There was no link between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda. We weren’t helping the Iraqi people and the Iraqi people didn’t want us there. We weren’t preventing terrorism or making Americans safer. I couldn’t find a single good reason for having been there\, for having shot at people and been shot at. \n\n\n\nComing home gave me the clarity to see the line between military duty and moral obligation. I realized that I was part of a war that I believed was immoral and criminal\, a war of aggression\, a war of imperial domination. I realized that acting upon my principles became incompatible with my role in the military\, and I decided that I could not return to Iraq. \n\n\n\nBy putting my weapon down\, I chose to reassert myself as a human being. I have not deserted the military or been disloyal to the men and women of the military. I have not been disloyal to a country. I have only been loyal to my principles. \n\n\n\nWhen I turned myself in\, with all my fears and doubts\, it did it not only for myself. I did it for the people of Iraq\, even for those who fired upon me-they were just on the other side of a battleground where war itself was the only enemy. I did it for the Iraqi children\, who are victims of mines and depleted uranium. I did it for the thousands of unknown civilians killed in war. My time in prison is a small price compared to the price Iraqis and Americans have paid with their lives. Mine is a small price compared to the price Humanity has paid for war. \n\n\n\nMany have called me a coward\, others have called me a hero. I believe I can be found somewhere in the middle. To those who have called me a hero\, I say that I don’t believe in heroes\, but I believe that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. \n\n\n\nTo those who have called me a coward I say that they are wrong\, and that without knowing it\, they are also right. They are wrong when they think that I left the war for fear of being killed. I admit that fear was there\, but there was also the fear of killing innocent people\, the fear of putting myself in a position where to survive means to kill\, there was the fear of losing my soul in the process of saving my body\, the fear of losing myself to my daughter\, to the people who love me\, to the man I used to be\, the man I wanted to be. I was afraid of waking up one morning to realize my humanity had abandoned me. \n\n\n\nI say without any pride that I did my job as a soldier. I commanded an infantry squad in combat and we never failed to accomplish our mission. But those who called me a coward\, without knowing it\, are also right. I was a coward not for leaving the war\, but for having been a part of it in the first place. Refusing and resisting this war was my moral duty\, a moral duty that called me to take a principled action. I failed to fulfill my moral duty as a human being and instead I chose to fulfill my duty as a soldier. All because I was afraid. I was terrified\, I did not want to stand up to the government and the army\, I was afraid of punishment and humiliation. I went to war because at the moment I was a coward\, and for that I apologize to my soldiers for not being the type of leader I should have been. \n\n\n\nI also apologize to the Iraqi people. To them I say I am sorry for the curfews\, for the raids\, for the killings. May they find it in their hearts to forgive me. \n\n\n\nOne of the reasons I did not refuse the war from the beginning was that I was afraid of losing my freedom. Today\, as I sit behind bars I realize that there are many types of freedom\, and that in spite of my confinement I remain free in many important ways. What good is freedom if we are afraid to follow our conscience? What good is freedom if we are not able to live with our own actions? I am confined to a prison but I feel\, today more than ever\, connected to all humanity. Behind these bars I sit a free man because I listened to a higher power\, the voice of my conscience. \n\n\n\nWhile I was confined in total segregation\, I came across a poem written by a man who refused and resisted the government of Nazi Germany. For doing so he was executed. His name is Albrecht Hanshofer\, and he wrote this poem as he awaited execution. \n\n\n\nGuilt \n\n\n\nThe burden of my guilt before the lawweighs light upon my shoulders; to plotand to conspire was my duty to the people;I would have been a criminal had I not. \n\n\n\nI am guilty\, though not the way you think\,I should have done my duty sooner\, I was wrong\,I should have called evil more clearly by its nameI hesitated to condemn it for far too long. \n\n\n\nI now accuse myself within my heart:I have betrayed my conscience far too longI have deceived myself and fellow man. \n\n\n\nI knew the course of evil from the startMy warning was not loud nor clear enough!Today I know what I was guilty of… \n\n\n\nTo those who are still quiet\, to those who continue to betray their conscience\, to those who are not calling evil more clearly by its name\, to those of us who are still not doing enough to refuse and resist\, I say “come forward.” I say “free your minds.” Let us\, collectively\, free our minds\, soften our hearts\, comfort the wounded\, put down our weapons\, and reassert ourselves as human beings by putting an end to war. \n\n\n\n–Camilo Mejia \n\n\n\nPress Release\n\n\n\nAuthor\, anti-war activist\, prisoner of conscience and chairman of the board of Iraq Veterans Against the War\, Camilo Mejia will speak about his experiences and his book “Road from Ar Ramadi: The Private Rebellion of Staff Sergeant Mejía” at The Sanctuary for Independent Media on Tuesday\, October 28\, 2008 at 7 PM. Admission is by donation ($10 suggested\, $5 student/low income). The Sanctuary for Independent Media is located at 3361 6th Avenue in north Troy (at 101st Street). Call (518) 272-2390\, email info@MediaSanctuary.org\, or visit www.MediaSanctuary.org for directions and more information. \n\n\n\nCamilo Mejia joined the military at the age of nineteen\, serving as an infantryman in the active-duty army for three years before transferring to the Florida National Guard. After fighting in Iraq\, Mejia became the first known Iraq veteran to refuse to fight the war in Iraq\, citing moral concerns about the war and occupation. He was eventually convicted of desertion by a military court and sentenced to a year in prison\, prompting Amnesty International to declare him a prisoner of conscience. \n\n\n\nMejía is a former student of the University of Miami in Coral Gables\, Florida\, where he intended to major in psychology and Spanish on a military-funded scholarship. Mejía spent six months in Iraq (his first combat tour after enlisting)\, then returned for a 2-week furlough to the US after which he did not return for duty. He was charged with desertion and sentenced to one year in prison for refusing to return to fight in Iraq. In March 2004 he turned himself in to the US military and filed an application for conscientious objector status. \n\n\n\nMejía was court-martialed\, and claimed that he left his post in order to avoid duties that could be considered war crimes: more specifically\, the abuse and torture of prisoners. One of his attorneys\, former United States Attorney General Ramsey Clark\, claimed that he was thus protected from desertion charges by international law. \n\n\n\nOn May 21\, 2004 Mejía was convicted of desertion by a military jury and sentenced to a year in jail and a bad conduct discharge. Under Article 85 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice\, conviction on the charge of desertion during time of war can result in a sentence of death. \n\n\n\nMejía served his time at the Fort Sill military prison in Lawton\, Oklahoma. During his time in custody he was recognized by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience and was awarded by Refuse and Resist with its Courageous Resister Award. \n\n\n\nCamilo was also recognized by the Detroit City Council with a commendation for his stand. Detroit was the first city where Mejía spoke at an anti-war rally. While confined\, local and national activists organized a series of vigils outside the gates of Ft. Sill\, including one attended by Kathy Kelly and other members of Voices in the Wilderness. \n\n\n\nCamilo Mejía was released from prison on February 15\, 2005. Since his release\, he has spoken at many peace protests and to the press about his experiences and his opposition to the war in Iraq. \n\n\n\nMejía has recently written a book entitled “Road from Ar Ramadi: The Private Rebellion of Staff Sergeant Mejía” (Haymarket Books\, 2008) which recounts his journey of conscience in Iraq: \n\n\n\n“I say without any pride that I did my job as a soldier. I commanded an infantry squad in combat and we never failed to accomplish our mission. But those who called me a coward\, without knowing it\, are also right. I was a coward not for leaving the war\, but for having been a part of it in the first place. Refusing and resisting this war was my moral duty\, a moral duty that called me to take a principled action. I failed to fulfill my moral duty as a human being and instead I chose to fulfill my duty as a soldier. All because I was afraid. I was terrified\, I did not want to stand up to the government and the army\, I was afraid of punishment and humiliation. I went to war because at the moment I was a coward\, and for that I apologize to my soldiers for not being the type of leader I should have been.” \n\n\n\nIn August 2007 Mejía was named the chair of the board of directors of Iraq Veterans Against the War.
URL:https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/camilo-mejia-the-private-rebellion-of-a-staff-sergeant/
LOCATION:The Sanctuary\, 3361 6th Ave\, Troy\, 12180\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion,Speaker
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